Seashell Deals
by ArtistKurai
Summary: A homeless man comes into the grill looking for shelter from the rain. What he leaves with is a stomach full of warm food and a deal with Jen for the next time he comes in hungry.


A/N: What's up, peeps? I have a new little ficlet for you. You guys remember that scene when the homeless man comes in the grill and just gives Jen the pretty rock? They both seemed pretty familiar with the exchange. He just gave her the rock without prompting, and she asked if he was hungry. Well, I wondered how that came about.

Disclaimer: I had a witty thought the other day, but now I don't remember what it was.

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The Beach City Grill door squeaked on its hinges, alerting the staff to a customer. Looking up from the computer, Jen saw a tall, thin man enter. She'd seen him a couple times before around town, picking up drink cans. Jen knew he was homeless, and it broke her heart. 

So when she saw him standing in the door, dripping from the rain outside, she knew she had to help. "Hi," Jen greeted kindly. The man shyly approached the counter, keeping his gaze downcast. "Can I get you something?" 

"I was just coming in out of the rain," the man answered softly, almost too quiet to hear. 

"I don't blame you," Jen smiled, making conversation. "It can get cold out there. You want something to warm up? Some coffee or soup?" 

"No, no thank you," the stranger backed away from the counter. "No money." 

Jen wanted to insist, but she knew it would worsen the man's already hurt pride. Glancing around, she noticed all the beach paraphernalia hanging about the dining room. An idea struck her. "I've got an idea. How about you go over to the beach after it stops raining and find me a seashell or something like that, and that'll pay for a meal. And you can do that whenever you want something to eat." 

The man took a moment to consider this proposal. He did like the sound of it. While it wasn't a real job, which he sorely wanted and needed, but it allowed him to work for his meal. He decided he liked this arrangement. "Okay," he accepted with a tiny nod. 

Jen gave him a beaming smile. "Great. Why don't you go sit down, and I'll bring your food to you. Do you like clam chowder? That's what we've got on the stove for today." The man nodded again, and Jen fixed his order. A short while later, she approached his booth with a tray in hand. "Here's your soup," she said as she carefully set it down on the table. "And I brought you a turkey sandwich. I hope you like it." She set this on the table as well, along with a glass of water. 

"Thanks," the man mumbled under his breath, still not meeting Jen's eye. 

"Enjoy." Jen went back to her stool at the computer as her new acquaintance began to eat. Time passed peacefully as the staff and patrons of Beach City Grill waited out the rain shower. The cadence of the raindrops was relaxing and soothing. It didn't last very long, though, and everyone was back to their day. 

As he walked to the door, the man turned once more to the counter, catching Jen's eye. "Have a good day," she wished him kindly. With a smile, the man ducked out the door. 

A couple hours later, the door opened again, and the same man appeared. "Hey," Jen greeted him again. "You came back quickly." He didn't say a word as he reached into his shirt pocket, pulling out a sand dollar about the size of his palm. "Oh wow, it's beautiful. Thank you." Jen picked up the shell, examining its smooth white exterior. It really was a lovely sand dollar. "I'd say that covers your lunch today just fine." She carefully set the sand dollar onto the counter next to her computer. "I'd say it looks just right here on the counter." The two shared another smile before the man turned to leave the shop once more. "Have a good day," she wished him again. 

A few weeks passed without Jen seeing her new friend. She hoped he was taking care of himself. As the thought passed through her mind, the door hinges squealed under the weight of the door. Looking up, she saw the man she was just thinking of. "Hey. I was just wondering how you've been." Silently, the man reached into his pocket and pulled out a large starfish. "Nice. I like starfish." She received a smile in return. "You want something to eat?"

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A/N: It seems pretty plausible to me. *shrugs* Thoughts? Like? Dislike? Leave me a review and tell me what you think. Thank you for reading!


End file.
